Qatar: Stricter requirements imposed on attestation of diplomas

Qatar is imposing stricter requirements on attestation of educational diplomas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for work visas and employees with resident permits in senior positions. If a diploma has already been attested to by the Qatar embassy in the country of issuance and the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the additional documents are not required.

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What does the change mean? In order toattest diplomas or educational certificates, the foreign national must provide the original diploma, school transcript and an authenticity letter from the university, all attested to by the Qatar embassy in the country of issuance. The documents will then be submitted to the ministry for attestation in Qatar.

Implementation time frame: Immediate.

Visas/permits affected: Work visas and other visas that require attested educational diplomas or certificates.

Who is affected: Qatari employers sponsoring foreign nationals for work visas; all employees with visas or resident permits indicating senior positions without attested education certificates.

Impact on processing times: Educational degrees may be rejected without the new documents and attestations.

Business impact: Applicants should anticipate additional time to collect the documents and obtain attestations from the embassy.

Background: In addition to the new documentary requirements, the authenticity letter from the university that issued the degree or certificate must contain specific information, including the degree awarded, type of study, place of study, and dates and duration of the coursework. Degrees or certificates from online programs or distance-learning courses are not accepted for attestation at the ministry, even with the additional documents.

BAL Analysis: Employers and individuals applying for work visas should factor in the additional requirements and note that educational degrees are likely to be rejected without them. BAL can assist in the process.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Qatar. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLPFounded in 1980, Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) provides comprehensive global immigration services from seven offices across the U.S. and from offices in Geneva, London, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. BAL manages global visa matters and customized application approaches for work permits, business visas, and residence permits in more than 100 countries. With a single cost center for worldwide operations, BAL offers centralized management with regional and local support for the complete spectrum of global immigration matters.

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